British nationals who go into hospital overseas

We aim to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been admitted to hospital.

We don’t usually contact or visit people who have travelled specifically for medical treatment.

If you are in hospital as a result of an assault or other crime, we will visit you as soon as possible.

Your condition

In all other cases, we will take account of factors such as your condition, your ability to speak on the phone, whether you have relatives or friends with you, whether you have a tour company representative and the standard of medical facilities before deciding whether a visit is appropriate. If we decide it is, and there is a British embassy in the same city as the hospital which you are in, we aim to visit you within 48 hours of being told that you have gone into hospital.

If you want, we can contact your family or friends in the UK to tell them that you are in hospital.

If you want, we can help you to liaise with your insurance company or medical evacuation company. Remember to keep any receipts or doctors’ notes in case you need them to make a claim.

Mental illness

Facilities for dealing with mental illness vary widely around the world. In some countries there are not enough resources, in others expensive privately-run clinics are the only real option and, in some places, people with mental illness may be detained by the police instead of being admitted to hospital.

If you are mentally ill and want our help, we will do our best to make sure you receive medical help and advice, wherever you are. But we cannot provide this help and advice ourselves.

If you have run out of a prescribed medication we can give you information on getting supplies locally. You should be aware, however, that in some countries your medication might be banned or unavailable.

If you want, we can contact your family and friends in the UK.

If necessary, we can help local medical staff contact medical staff in the UK who may be able to advise on your medical history and who may be the most appropriate people to offer continued support if you return to the UK.

You may find that your insurance policy does not cover mental illness, or is not valid because you did not declare a pre-existing condition. In these cases, you or your family must expect to pay for any treatment.